Apparatus for packing either 25 or 26 bottles into a container

Claim 2

A bottle packing apparatus comprising means for receiving M bottles in an array, where M is an integer larger than four, holding means for holding N bottles, where N is an integer smaller than M, gravity-drop means for transferring N bottles from said receiving means to said holding means leaving M-N bottles in said receiving means, and means for thereafter feeding N bottles into said receiving means, thereby to refill said receiving means with M bottles, said transferring means and said receiving means being movable together between a position adjacent said holding means and a position remote therefrom, said transferring means comprising a bottle support movable relative to said receiving means between first and second positions, said support when in said first position having support parts beneath each of said M bottles, thereby to maintain them within said receiving means, said support when in said second position having support parts beneath only said M-N bottles, thereby maintaining them within said receiving means while permitting said N bottles to drop from said receiving means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said array of M bottles comprises a plurality of rows, the untransferred bottles normally retaining their positions after the N bottles are transferred, said feeding means comprising means for feeding bottles along said rows, whereby bottles which are thus fed along a row including an untransferred bottle engage said untransferred bottle in refilling said row in said receiving means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said holding means is mounted for movement between first and second positions, said receiving means is normally closely spaced relative to said holding means when the latter is in its first position, and means for moving said receiving means to a position relatively remote from said holding means before said holding means is moved to said second position.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3, in which said transferring means is effective to transfer said N bottles to said holding means in a given array, and means operatively connected to said holding means for thereafter altering the array of said N bottles to a different array containing at least oNe additional row or column relative to said given array.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4, in which said given array is substantially the same array that said N bottles were in when in said receiving means.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1, in which said transferring means is effective to transfer said N bottles to said holding means in a given array, and means operatively connected to said holding means for thereafter altering the array of said N bottles to a different array containing at least one additional row or column relative to said given array.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, in which said given array is substantially the same array that said N bottles were in when in said receiving means.

Claim 9

A bottle packing apparatus for placing a selected number of bottles arranged in a predetermined pattern into a container comprising A. a frame; B. a selected number of individual bottle holding means movably mounted on said frame for holding the bottles to be packed, said bottle holding means being movable to form first and second patterns, said first pattern being different from and said second pattern being substantially the same as said predetermined pattern; C. means for operatively associating a bottle with each of said bottle holding means while said bottle holding means is in said first pattern; and D. means for moving said bottle holding means to form said second pattern, said patterns comprising arrays and the array of said second pattern containing at least one additional row or column relative to the array of said first pattern; said frame comprising a plurality of parallel bottle holding means mounting structures, said mounting structures being relatively movable in a first and a second sense, said movement in said first sense being between a first position wherein said bottle holding means form said first pattern and a second position wherein said bottle holding means form an intermediate pattern, said movement in said second sense being between a first position wherein said bottle holding means are spaced apart and a second position wherein said bottle holding means are relatively close together, thereby to form said second pattern; said mounting structures comprising a plurality of parallel bars some of which are operably interconnected by a first perpendicular bar and the remainder of which are operably interconnected by a second perpendicular bar, said first perpendicular bar being movable relative to said second perpendicular bar such that the parallel bars connected to said first perpendicular bar are movable in said first sense relative to said parallel bars connected to said second perpendicular bar.

Claim 10

A bottle packing apparatus for placing a selected number of bottles arranged in a predetermined pattern into a container comprising A. a frame; B. a selected number of individual bottle holding means movably mounted on said frame for holding the bottles to be packed, said bottle holding means being movable to form first and second patterns, said first pattern being different from and said second pattern being substantially the same as said predetermined pattern; C. means for operatively associating a bottle with each of said bottle holding means while said bottle holding means is in said first pattern; and D. means for moving said bottle holding means to form said second pattern, said patterns comprising arrays and the array of said second pattern containing at least one additional row or column relative to the array of said first pattern; said frame comprising a plurality of parallel bottle holding means mounting structures, said mounting structures being relatively movable in a first and a second sense, said movement in said first sense being between a first position wherein said bottle holding means form said first pattern and a second position wherein said bottle holding means form an intermediate pattern, said movement in said second sense being between a first position wherein said bottle holding means are spaced apart and a second position wherein said bottle holding means are relatively close together, thereby to form said second pattern; said mounting structures comprising a plurality of parallel bars some of which are operably interconnected by a first perpendicular bar and the remainder of which are operably interconnected by a second perpendicular bar, said first perpendicular bar being movable relative to said second perpendicular bar such that the parallel bars connected to said first perpendicular bar are movable in said first sense relative to said parallel bars connected to said second perpendicular bar.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein at least some of said parallel bars are movable along the perpendicular bar to which said parallel bars are operatively connected to achieve movement in said second sense.

Claim 12

A bottle packing apparatus for use with a bottle conveyor for placing N bottles arranged in a predetermined pattern into a container comprising a frame, N individual bottle holding means movably mounted on said frame for holding the bottles to be packed, receiving means having a predetermined bottle capacity of M bottles, where M is an integer greater than four and N is an integer less than M, means for transferring N bottles from said receiving means and operatively associating each of said bottles with each of said bottle holding means respectively and retaining the remaining M-N bottles in said receiving means, means for refilling said receiving means, after the selected number of N bottles are operatively associated with said bottle holding means, with a number of additional bottles from said conveyor above the number retained in order that said receiving means is refilled to capacity with retained and additional bottles, said transferring means and said receiving means being movable together between a position adjacent said frame and a position remote therefrom, said boTtle holding means being movable to form a first pattern wherein said bottle holding means are arranged to accept the bottles from said transferring means and a second and different pattern which is the predetermined packing pattern, and means for moving said bottle holding means to change patterns, said patterns comprising arrays and the array of said second pattern containing at least one additional row or column relative to the array of said first pattern.

Claim 13

A bottle packing apparatus for use with a bottle conveyor for placing N bottles arranged in a predetermined pattern into a container comprising a frame, N individual bottle holding means movably mounted on said frame for holding the bottles to be packed, receiving means having a predetermined bottle capacity of M bottles, where M is an integer greater than four and N is an integer less than M, means for transferring N bottles from said receiving means and operatively associating each of said bottles with each of said bottle holding means respectively and retaining the remaining M-N bottles in said receiving means, means for refilling said receiving means, after the selected number of N bottles are operatively associated with said bottle holding means, with a number of additional bottles from said conveyor above the number retained in order that said receiving means is refilled to capacity with retained and additional bottles, said transferring means and said receiving means being movable together between a position adjacent said frame and a position remote therefrom, said boTtle holding means being movable to form a first pattern wherein said bottle holding means are arranged to accept the bottles from said transferring means and a second and different pattern which is the predetermined packing pattern, and means for moving said bottle holding means to change patterns, said patterns comprising arrays and the array of said second pattern containing at least one additional row or column relative to the array of said first pattern.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10, in which said array of M bottles comprises a plurality of rows, the untransferred bottles normally retaining their positions after the N bottles are transferred, said feeding means comprising means for feeding bottles along said rows, whereby bottles which are thus fed along a row including an untransferred bottle engage said untransferred bottle in refilling said row in said receiving means.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10, in which said transferring means is a gravity-drop means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12, in which said holding means is mounted for movement between first and second positions, said receiving means is normally closely spaced relative to said holding means when the latter is in its first position, and means for moving said receiving means to a position relatively remote from said holding means before said holding means is moved to said second position.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 12, in which said transferring means comprises a bottle support movable relative to said receiving means between first and second positions, said support when in said first position having support parts beneath each of said M bottles, thereby to maintain them within said receiving means, said support when in said second position having support parts beneath only said M-N bottles, thereby maintaining them with said receiving means while permitting said N bottles to drop from said receiving means.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14, in which said transferring means is effective to transfer said N bottles to said holding means in a given array, and means operatively connected to said holding means for thereafter altering the array of said N bottles to a different array from said given array.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15, in which said given array is substantially the same array that said N bottles were in when in said receiving means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 10, in which said transferring means is effective to transfer said N bottles to said holding means in a given array, and means operatively connected to said holding means for thereafter altering the array of said N bottles to a different array from said given array.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17, in which said given array is substantially the same array that said N bottles were in when in said receiving means.